A DOUBLE ABDUCTION 47

Spade drew the key from his pocket and slipped it into
the lock ; the latch was lifted, and with a gentle push the
door opened inwardly. Everything was in the same state
as in the afternoon.

Captain Spade entered the garden, after assuring him-
self that no one was in the vicinity of the pavilion, and
his men followed him.

The door was not locked, but merely closed to: ‘this
would enable them to escape with all speed on their
return.

In this part, shaded by groups of high trees, it was so
dark that it would have been hard to distinguish the
pavilion were it not that a bright light was shining from
one of the windows.

This, no doubt, was the window of the room occupied
by Thomas Roch and by his attendant, for Gaydon never
left the patient committed to his care, either day or night.
Therefore Spade expected to find him in the room.

His four men and he advanced cautiously, taking care
that no noise of rolling stone or breaking branch should
reveal their presence. In this way they gained the side
of the building, and reached the door. The light that
shone through the curtains of the window was placed near
the door. But if this door were fastened, how were they to
get into the madman’s room? Such was the question
that Captain Spade was asking himself. As he had no
key that would open the room door, would it not be
necessary to break one of the window panes, force the
fastening of the window in a twinkling, burst into the